Bathtub enclosure



Aug. 28, 1962 c. E. MuNsoN BATHTUB ENcLosURE Filed March 22, 19Go Fis-.3.

United tates atent @t 3,050,742 BA'IHTUB ENCLSURE Charles E. Munson, 1012 El Dorado Drive, Fullerton, Calif. Filed Mar. 22, 1960, Ser. No. 16,717 2 Claims. (Cl. 4--154) The present invention relates generally to `an enclosure for bathtubs, and is more particularly concerned with a protective enclosure or the curtain type for bathtub installations having a shower head associated therewith.

Heretofore, tub and shower enclosures have in general consisted of two types of construction. One of these comprises foldable or slidable panel structures which incorporate top and bottom guide channels. rfhese constructions are bulky and unsightly in that even when not in use they are visible and cannot be removed from View. Such an arrangement is expensive and necessitates special construction in order to accommodate top and bottom guide channels, which channels also create a safety hazard.

The other conventional type of construction comprises a shower curtain which is supported from an overhead rod. This arrangement, while comparatively inexpensive is unsightly and usually ineicient in that it does not entirely seal and prevent water from getting outside the tub area. In this construction also the curtain cannot be concealed when not in use, and the overhead support rod is always in view.

Having the foregoing in mind, the present invention has for one object the provision of a simple, attractive and effective enclosure which eliminates the unsightly rods and guide channels of conventional arrangements, and which provide means for housing the curtain when not in use.

A further object is to provide la novel bathtub enclosure of the curtain type in which the curtain during nonuse is stored in a housing of unique two-part construction which facilitate its installation.

A still further object is to provide a housing for a bathtub enclosure curtain of the roll type, which includes adjustable means whereby the curtain roller may be vertically adjusted to compensate for out of plumb wall structures.

Yet another object is to provide a roller type bathtub enclosure in which a stile member is secured to the free end of the curtain, this stile having Ymeans for opposing tilting thereof, when the stile moves into engagement with the housing upon rerolling of the curtain.

Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the speciiication, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

FIG. l is a front elevational view of a bathtub enclosure embodying the features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same, and showing details of the housing construction, and the cooperatively associated stile and jamb; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view showing details of construction of one of the roll supporting brackets.

Referring now generally to the drawings, for illustrative purposes, the present invention is shown in FIG. 1 as being associated with a conventional bathtub installation in which the bathtub, yas indicated at 10, is installed so as to extend between walls 11 and 12.

In its broad concept, the bathtub enclosure comprises a housing 13 for a roll type curtain 14 in the form of a semi-rigid vinyl compound film which has its free or leading end attached to a stile structure 15 arranged to be releasably attached to a jamb member 16.

3,15%,712 ?a.tentecl Aug. 28, 1952 More specically, as shown in FIG. 2, the housing 13 is extruded or otherwise formed from suitable material such `as aluminum to provide a two-part structure consisting of a pair of sections 17 and 1S of substantially L-cross section, and which may be cooperatively assen bled to provide the housing 13.

The section 18 is `arranged to be anchored to the wall structure at one end of the bathtub as by means of suitable anchor screws 19. Sections 17 and 18 are arranged with interlocking edges which form one corner of the housing, as` gener-ally indicated at Ztl.

The sections 17 and 1% are secured in assembled relation by means of upper and lower end brackets 2.1 and '22, each having right angled iianges 23 and 24 along opposite edges. The brackets are respectively secured to a front wall 2S of the housing by means of a securing rivet 26 passingV through the wall vand the ilange 23. The flange 24 is secured to a back wall 27 of the housing by a removable screw 23 passing through the wall and the flange 24. lt will be observed that the use` of the end brackets 21 and 22 provide an extremely effective means for retaining the housing sections 17 y'and 1S in assembled position, yet permit these sections to kbe conveniently and readily installed in a most eiiective manner.

The brackets 21 and Z2' are further utilized as end supports for -a conventional type of spring actuated roller 29 upon wch the curtain 14 is rolled. The roller is provided at its respective ends with axially extending supporting pins Sil' and 3,1. One of these pins is of round section, while the other is of rectangular section. The round pin merely serves as a pivot support, while the rectangular pin is held against rotation and forms the means by which the spring in the roller is stressed according to conventional practice.

Occasions may arise, however, wherein the walls at the ends of the tub, and particularly the wall associated with the housing 13 is out of plumb. Provision is made for compensating for out of plumb Walls by providing a plurality of aligned key type opem'ngs 32 in each of the end brackets, as shown in FIG. 3. These openings will receive either the round pin of the roller or the rectangular pin, and by selecting the proper openings at the top and bottom brackets, the roller may be positioned substantially vertically irrespective of the adjacent wall structure. p l

Referring further to FIG. 2, it will be observed that the corner of the housing opposite the vcorner having the interlocked edges 2t) is provided with a longitudinally extending opening 33 for the passage of the curtain 14. As shown, the adjacent edge margin of the wall 34 is provided with the turned edge 3S for engagement with the curtain material. On the other side of the opening 33, the back wall 27 is provided along its edge with a longitudinally extending groove 36 which forms a seat for an elongate sealing strip 37 arranged to engage against the curtain material and remove any moisture therefrom, as the curtain is being rerolled into the housing 13.

The stile 15 comprises an elongate `Ushaped extrusion formed with side walls 33 and 39, these side walls being connected to a common bridging bottom wall 40. Adjacent the juncture of the wall 39 with the bottom wall 40, the walls cooperate to dene an elongate opensided groove 41 which opens in the plane of wall 39. The free or running end margin of the curtain 14 is looped and anchored within the groove 41 by means of a longitudinally extending cord 42 or other suitable member which will wedge the curtain material in the groove.

Intermediate the upper and lower ends of the stile structure there is provided a U-shaped member 43 which is adapted to be inserted in nested relation with the walls of the stile structure, the legs of the member 43 and the adjacent side walls 38 and 39 having interiitting projecthandles for manipulating the curtain to Yclosed and opened posi-tions.

As shown further in FlG. 2, the jamb member 16 is Substantially L-shaped as to cross section, one leg being secured by suitable anchor screws 47 to the -adjacent surface of wall 11, and with the other leg Aprojecting at right angles to :the wall for entering within Ythe open side of Vthe stile Structure, when the curtain is moved to closed position. The outermost edge of this leg of the jamb Y member is provided with a reversely curved lip 48v so 'as to form a rounded edge uponwhich a person is not apt to be injured. i This lip serves the additional purpose of being engageable by a projecting finger 49 carried by an adjacent leg of the lU-Shaped member 43. The lip 48 and inger 49 form a simple expedient for releasably securing the stile structure to the jamb member 16.

Due to the fact that the groove 41 opens into the plane of the side wall 39, there would be a tendency for the Stile structure 15 'to tilt Whenrthe curtain is open and the stile'moves to the dotted line position in engagement with the wall 34 of the housing. This titling results from the force which is exerted upon the curtain by the action of the spring roller. This tilting tendency of the stile structure 15 is obviated by providing an end cap 501 at the -upper and lower endsV of the stile structure. This end cap iS made of a suitable plastic or other material and is designed to iit over the ends of the stile. Each cap is Yprovided with a rearwardly extending projection 51 Vwhich extends rearwardly of the plane of the curtain 14, thus forming a fulcrum which is so located that the stile structure will be held snugly against the adjacent surface of wall 34Ywithou`t tilting.

As shown in FIG. 2, the curtain 14 is installed so that it is inwardly spaced from the tub'line as indicated at 52, whereupon water which runs down the curtain will be carried directly `into the tub. However, at the tub end, for example ladjacent the jamb member 16, the tub line curves so that there might be a tendency -for Water to leak through adjacent the lower-most endV of the jamb member 16. This is obviated by providing a deector member 53 of plastic or other suitable material arranged to t under the jamb member 16, and extend over the tub line. The upper surface of the member 53 is provided With an upstanding flange 54 which extends from a position outwardly of the jamb member 16 and is curved towards the'plane of the curtain 14 at theV other end of the deector member 53 so as to form in eifect a darn which will operate to carry the water back into the tub and prevent leakage at this end of the enclosure curtain.

Various modifica-tions may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the Spirit of my invention, and, hence, I do not wish to be restricted to the -specic form shown or uses mentioned, except to the extent indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A bathtub enclosure, comprisingzna vertically ex.

tending hollow elongate housing adapted to be secured at one end of a bathtub above theupper endof an outer wall thereof, said housing having an elongate opening along a side thereof; a spring actuated roller mounted on said housing'a iiexible curtain wound on said roller and ,extendingV through said opening; a jamb member at an opposite end of said tub; a stile secured along the exposed end of said curtain and projecting generally' forwardly of the plane of the curtain; said curtain being secured to said stile inward of themedian plane thereof so aS to deine substantially a planar continuation of an inner wallrof said stile; members carried by Said stile and engageable inward of said inner wall of said stile with said housing to oppose inward tilting of the stile when the curtain is rerolled on the roller; and means 'for releasably interconnecting the stile and jamb to retain the curtain in an unrolled position extending between said tub ends `above the outer wall of the tub.

2. A bathtub enclosure, comprising: a verticallyextending hollow elongate housingY adapted to be secured at one end of a -bathtub above the upper end of an outer wall thereof, said housing having an elongate` opening along a side thereof; a spring actuated roller mounted on Said housing; a flexible curtain wound'on said roller and extending through said opening; a jamb member at an opposite end of said tub; a stile secured along the exposed end of said curtain and Vprojecting generally forwardly of the plane of the curtain; said curtain being secured to said stile inward of the median plane thereof so as to deiine substantially a planar continuation of an inner wall of Said stile; and caps carried by said stile and extending laterally and inwardly of the plane of the' curtain to provide bumpers engageable with the adjacent outer surface of said housing for opposing inward tilting of saidY stile when the curtain is rerolled on the roller; and means for releasably interconnecting the stile and jamb to retain the curtain in an unrolled position extending between said tub ends above the outer Wall of the tub, said curtain having its horizontal edges free when it is unrolled.

. References Cited in the tile of this patentv UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,732,798 Falzer Oct. 22, 1929 2,013,500 OConnor Sept. 3, 1935 2,584,369 Renton Feb. 5, 1952 2,756,438 Soberman July 31, 1956 

